Villas in Teutoburg Forest

Schwalenberg suits quiet stays in Lippe, Detmold suits the Hermann monument and Externsteine, and Tecklenburg suits ridge walks. The Teutoburg Forest is a long, low wooded ridge in eastern Westphalia, reaching into Lower Saxony near Osnabrück. Homes are holiday houses and flats rather than villas, mostly in small towns and villages, and a car makes life much easier.

Where

Villas: 63
From, per week: £216
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: Paderborn/Lippstadt is closest to Schwalenberg, Detmold and Bielefeld, but has few flights. Münster Osnabrück suits Tecklenburg and the western end. Hanover and Dortmund have more UK routes and are around one to one and a half hours away. Flights from London take around an hour and a half.

Where to stay in Teutoburg Forest

Schwalenberg and the Lippe uplands (Schieder-Schwalenberg, Marienmünster, Steinheim)

Schwalenberg has the most of our homes in the region. It is a small hill town of half-timbered houses, long known as a painters' town, with a carved town hall from 1579 and a 13th-century castle above that now holds a restaurant. Schieder, a few minutes away, has a lake with a path round it. Marienmünster and Steinheim lie just east, in rolling farmland. Detmold is around half an hour away, and Paderborn airport about an hour.

Best for: Couples and walkers who want a small half-timbered town

Not for you if: You want shops and restaurants on the doorstep in the evening: Schwalenberg is tiny and goes quiet early.

Detmold and the southern ridge

Detmold is the old capital of Lippe, with a Renaissance palace in the centre and the LWL open-air museum on the edge of town, a big collection of farmhouses moved here from across Westphalia. The Hermannsdenkmal, a huge copper statue on the ridge, marks the battle of AD 9. The Externsteine, sandstone pillars with steps and a carved relief, are about 20 minutes south. Paderborn airport is roughly 45 minutes away.

Best for: Families who want monuments, an open-air museum and short forest walks

Not for you if: You want to avoid crowds on sunny weekends: the Hermannsdenkmal and Externsteine draw coach parties.

Bielefeld and Herford

Bielefeld spreads along the northern foot of the ridge, and the Hermannsweg trail crosses the city near the Sparrenburg, a castle with a tower and tunnels to explore. Herford, about 20 minutes north-east, has the Marta Herford art museum in a building by Frank Gehry. Both have fast trains to Hanover and the Ruhr. Paderborn and Münster Osnabrück airports are each around 50 minutes to an hour away.

Best for: A city base with trains, museums and the ridge path close by

Not for you if: You want countryside views from the window: stock here is mostly in built-up streets.

Bad Oeynhausen and Vlotho (towards the Weser)

Bad Oeynhausen is a 19th-century spa town with a large Kurpark and thermal baths, and it sits on the Weser cycle path. Vlotho, a few minutes upstream, is a small Weser town with the ruins of its castle on the hill above the old centre. The Porta Westfalica gap, where the Weser cuts through the hills, is about 20 minutes north. Hanover airport is roughly an hour away.

Best for: Spa days and gentle cycling along the river

Not for you if: You came for the Teutoburg ridge itself: this is the lower country to the north-east, around half an hour from the forest.

Tecklenburg and the Osnabrück end (Lotte, Melle, Ostercappeln)

Tecklenburg is a hilltop town of steep lanes and half-timbered houses, and its open-air stage puts on musicals in summer. The Hermannsweg passes straight through it. Lotte is on the edge of Osnabrück, and Melle sits in farmland to the east. Ostercappeln is north of the city, close to Kalkriese, where a museum and park cover the site linked to the Varus battle. Münster Osnabrück airport is about 30 minutes from Tecklenburg.

Best for: Ridge walking, an open-air theatre and easy access to Münster Osnabrück airport

Not for you if: You want a wide choice of homes: there are only a handful at this western end.

When to go to Teutoburg Forest

May to September is the walking and cycling season, and the woods are at their best in May and again in October, when the beeches turn. North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony school holidays fill the popular sights in July and August, though the region rarely feels packed outside weekends. Summers are warm rather than hot, and rain can come at any time of year. Winters are grey and damp with little snow. Tecklenburg's open-air stage and many outdoor attractions only open from spring to autumn.